Posts Tagged With: side dish

I’ve seen (and clipped out) several recipes for Brussels sprout salad over the past year or so. I was intrigued but skeptical whether raw Brussels sprouts were really a good idea. I even debated until the last minute whether I would end up cooking my sprouts like this instead. I’m glad to say that I gathered up my courage and went with the salad. The dressing and shredded cheese (I used some Parmesan I had on hand) provided a perfect balance. Plus I wanted something crisp to go with my Cornish game hens and sausage cornbread dressing. This totally fit the bill and the crunchy tartness was addictive.

Soak the onion slices in a small bowl of cold water for 15 to 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside.

Trim all of the Brussels sprouts, cutting off any bruised outer leaves and slicing off a good portion of the hard root end. Thinly slice the sprouts with a sharp knife (or use a mandoline to shave the sprouts one at a time.) When you’re done, use your fingers to gently separate the leaves so that the shredded sprouts resemble a very fine slaw.

Put the sprouts in a serving bowl and toss gently with the onions (which you’ve now drained) and the dressing. Fold in the pecorino or parmesan, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

It looked quite lovely plated up with everything else, I have to say. I could easily see serving this whole meal again and again.

Like many of you, my first experience (and for a long time, my only experience) eating figs was in the highly-processed form of Fig Newtons. I’m not slamming Fig Newtons — they are pretty tasty — but I have developed a real love for fresh figs. This love was encouraged by my dad. He has been known to scout out fig bushes in his small town so he can sneak a few when they are in season. Luckily, one is near a local museum where he volunteers and — since figs are not a universally-admired fruit — no one minds him taking a few. One time I showed up for a visit and the first thing he said to me was, “I have some fresh figs and good blue cheese for us to eat!” We may have done a little mutual happy dance.

Friends, fresh figs that are perfectly ripe are a beautiful and fleeting thing. Right now they are showing up in my local grocery store — mostly black mission and brown turkey figs. So, when I saw them, I knew I had to make a fig salad. This is the yumminess that ensued…

Fig Salad (serves 2 as a large side)

Throw two big handfuls of greens in your salad bowl. (This time I went with mixed butter lettuces.)

Depending on fig size or your preference, cut 4-5 figs into either quarters or eighths.

Sprinkle with 1-2 ounces fresh goat cheese ( you can also use blue cheese — my hubby is not as big a fan as I am)

You can also throw in nuts — candied nuts, especially pecans, are a great addition. This was a weekday salad for me, so I kept it simple.

Grind some pepper on top.

Now, just whip up your easy salad dressing. I used 1 tbsp each fig jam, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. If you don’t have fig jam, you could use honey or brown sugar. Drizzle on top.

If you use bagged greens, you have a delicious side salad in about 5 minutes. And then you can focus on the eatin!